If popularity doesn't make a belief true, then why trust ANY "popular" belief?

I openly encourage people not to trust ANY popular belief but to examine the evidence critically for themselves and from their own opinions and interpretations of what the evidence is inferring.

Popularity makes a belief more likely to be true if that belief requires the act of knowing it's content. The fact that Christianity is the world's most popular religion makes it more likely to be true because the doctrine calls that each man should and will know Jesus Christ. Since every man or woman on Earth knows who Jesus is, it is safe to say that these are points towards the cause of Christianity.

Belief in elves is not only not popular (25,000 isn't even a lot compared to the total population of Iceland), it in no way substantiates any sort of connection with its tenets. If elves said "All should know who I stand for and all the doctrines of existence", and everyone knew and obeyed the elves then yes perhaps then it would be more likely to be true. But as you state it, the belief is not.

I'm with you. I don't trust any belief just because it is popular. I have found that the Bible in it's original languages of Hebrew and Greek are true because I have done what Jesus said to do and it works! I have found that God is real because He has shown me in Spiritual experience the reality of Himself. Also, I have had a close relationship with God for over 5o years. I live in Minnesota and have found that it gets very cold in Minnesota every year in the Winter. I have found that to be true by actual experience also. If someone from Florida told me that Minnesota did not get cold in the Winter no matter what I said I would give up and consider the source. It is the same with the Reality of God. I know that God is real by actual experience just as I know that it gets cold in Minnesota in the winter.

I hope this has been helpful to you in some way.

In Iceland you can go to a school to learn all about elf history and culture, how to find one, and even go on field trips to places where they supposedly live.

To be perfectly honest with you,

it simply depends on what happens to be "popular" ... that will make all the difference.

If an idea requires belief or faith, then most certainly the idea is bullsh!t.

Including magical elves and magical god fairies.

How often are you going to ask this question?